G1 Throwback Anthology
by ExoZadakh
Summary: A collection of miscellaneous short stories I wrote on other sites over the past few years but haven't brought to FanFiction before now.
1. Bond of Heresy

A sea of movement lay before his eyes. Matoran, Toa, and countless other species wove around each other as they ran between the shattered remains of what had once been the body of their Great Spirit and the slowly rising structure of a new village. Taken over by Makuta and rendered uninhabitable in combat, the massive robot that had once housed a universe was now being evacuated so a new life could begin on Spherus Magna. It was a beautiful scene—species long thought of as enemies working together for the greater good, with the natives of this world welcoming them with open arms.

The sight filled him with disgust.

From atop a cliff overlooking the crowd, Ahkmou scowled. The Po-Matoran had long been a valuable (or so he assumed) ally to the Makuta, and had been rewarded with control over the city of Metru-Nui once the villain's plan reached completion. Then came the day the sky was torn open, Makuta was killed, and Ahkmou found himself facing very, very real danger.

 _Even those "noble" Toa would probably kill me on sight,_ he thought. _I was lucky to escape before they found me. Chances are they either think I'm dead, or don't care to see if I'm alive._

A more sentimental being might be hurt by this realization. Ahkmou only grew angry.

"I was supposed to be one of them," he seethed. "If I had the power of a Toa, I could make them all bow to me again! I would make them suffer if my destiny hadn't been stolen from me!"

"Destiny? You cling to _destiny_ …"

Ahkmou suddenly felt cold. He dared not turn around to see who the harsh, contemptuous voice belonged to, merely remained still as a statue as the sound of footsteps grew steadily louder. A spear was thrust into the rock beside him, granting him view of the scaly hand that clutched it.

"Another Matoran…one who wants to be a Toa. You should have died with your Great Spirit."

Ahkmou gulped. "I-I have no love f-for Mata Nui. I'm glad he's g-gone."

The stranger replied with eerie silence, and Ahkmou found himself continuing to speak. "Maybe I am a Matoran, but it's not like I chose to be. And I certainly don't want to be a Toa like them!"

He made a shaky gesture towards the Toa below. Seconds later, he could feel the stranger's noxious breath battering him as a question formed: "Not like them? You are not like them?"

His anger granting bravery, Ahkmou responded, "Of course not! I hate them!"

The stranger chuckled, a terrible noise that sent a shiver down Ahkmou's spine. "You hate them. Good, you hate them. We hate them too. Convince me that I shouldn't hate you."

Words spilled out of Ahkmou, relating a brief summary of his most noteworthy deeds: plotting to steal the Great Disks only to be foiled by Toa; spreading a plague among his people only to be found out and punished by Turaga; feeling not the slightest inkling of guilt as he enslaved and commanded his fellow Matoran during his great (if short) reign over Metru-Nui. He spoke of how he was, without a doubt, the most hated, treacherous Matoran in the eyes of his species, and that he was perfectly fine with that. The stranger did nothing but listen attentively.

"I don't care what they _think_ of me. I care that they _won_. Now I'm cursed to hide from them like a coward because the power I so rightfully deserve was robbed from me—stolen by Onewa and the others, and then ripped from my grasp by Mata Nui himself! I want that power back…I want to use it against them. _All_ of them."

When Ahkmou was finished, he waited for the stranger's reply. Moments later, a hand grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around before he could protest, bringing him mask-to-jaws with a Zyglak. A hideous grin was spread across the creature's face.

"Your hatred is real. You are an outcast. _You are like us_."

Ahkmou attempted to hide the terror in his eyes. He was unsuccessful.

Letting go of him, the Zyglak added, "I think I won't kill you. You are a Matoran, but not like the other Matoran…how interesting. We never expected to find something like you."

Pulling its spear out of the ground, the Zyglak turned and took a few steps away from Ahkmou. It then paused and looked back over its shoulder.

"Perhaps I won't hate you. Perhaps I'll even give you a choice. Take your chances with me, or take your chances in the wild…or take your chances with them."

Ahkmou took a long, hard look at the Zyglak, fathoming the sheer depth of his fear for the monster. Then he looked back at the settlement the Toa were building, letting his bottomless rage wash over him.

With a hateful smile, he turned and followed the Zyglak.

* * *

Notes:

Like the summary says, the stories presented here were all written on another site from about 2013-16. I thought it might be worthwhile to bring them here finally, but since many of them are extremely short, compiling them all seemed like the best idea.

The reason so many are so short is because a good number of these stories were written for a series of flash fiction contests with a 1000 word limit. That includes this story, which actually won the contest it was entered in! I'll always note which ones were written for contests.

Now, as for this story in particular, I think we can all agree that Ahkmou is one of the characters we love to hate the most. There's also the massive, unknown potential of Spherus Magna, which will turn up in a lot of these stories, and I wondered what that jerk might get into after being kicked out of the Matoran Universe. He certainly couldn't go back to the Matoran after ruling Metru-Nui with an iron fist. I don't entirely recall why I ended up choosing a Zyglak as the one to find him, but being such hated outcasts I do still think they make a good match for him.

After the success of this story, I decided to try to write more focusing on the Great Disk Matoran, but my ultimate goal never quite materialized. Still, I'm pretty proud of most products of that attempt.

Be sure to stay tuned—since these are all already written, I'm going to be posting at a pretty fast pace!


	2. Abyssal Obsession

Vhisola sat quietly, eyes fixated on the tiny tablet she held in her hand. Etched into the stone with loving detail was an image of Nokama, the teacher she had come to care so deeply about. The Ga-Matoran slowly drew her fingers down the side of the tablet.

 _It's all for you, Nokama…everything I do is for you…_

The sound of footsteps caught her attention. Carefully tucking the carving into her bag, Vhisola moved into a crouch and peered above the edge of the bulky fountain she was hiding behind. Being on the outskirts of Ga-Metru, the plaza was very rarely visited, so Turaga Dume saw no reason to assign any Vahki to guard the location. It was a perfect spot for Vhisola's purposes.

Through the darkness, she spotted another Ga-Matoran—Hara, a fellow student at the Ga-Metru schools. Hara had joined class only recently and had been struggling to keep up, so Nokama had offered to take some extra time to tutor her in order to help her catch up with the rest of the class.

 _She's trying to steal Nokama away from me._

In Vhisola's mind, any time Nokama spent with Hara was time the teacher could be spending with Vhisola. Her time with Nokama was precious, and Vhisola would not let anyone take it away. Hara would have to be the example.

Using a Weaken Kanoka, Vhisola had broken into Hara's desk and planted a message luring her to this location, then fixed it with a Regeneration disk to reduce suspicion. If the desk looked fine, Hara would assume the message came from someone who knew the combination to the lock—probably a friend or faculty member. The trap had worked, and the Matoran was now right where Vhisola wanted her.

Just loud enough that Hara could hear, Vhisola croaked, "Help…please, help me…"

Thinking another Matoran was in danger, Hara immediately bolted towards the fountain. Vhisola unlimbered her disk launcher, took aim, and fired.

Aiming was often unnecessary with Ga-Metru disks, which flew according to the user's thoughts, but Vhisola wanted to be sure there were no mistakes. The Kanoka struck Hara square in the mask and unleashed its freezing power. Her head now encased in a block of ice, Hara crawled toward the fountain as Vhisola stepped out of her hiding place. Vhisola mercilessly bashed her launcher into the back of Hara's head, slamming her into the fountain hard enough that the ice shattered.

Hara's body went limp. After kicking her a few times, Vhisola was positive she was unconscious.

"You shouldn't have tried to come between me and Nokama."

Attaching the weapon to her back, Vhisola grabbed Hara's ankles and dragged her across the plaza to a sealed trapdoor that served as an entrance to the Archives. As quietly as possible, Vhisola pried open the covering, checked to make sure no one was watching, and unceremoniously tossed Hara over the edge. She quickly climbed down on her own and verified Hara was still out. Taking hold of her by the ankles again, Vhisola dragged her deeper into the tunnel.

It was not long before Vhisola spotted her goal: an old Kavinika exhibit that even the Archivists had forgotten was there. The sight filled her with savage excitement. In an earlier visit she had broken the outer shell—easily the most difficult part of this scheme—and now needed only to graze the inner layer to awaken the Rahi.

 _Kavinika are so vicious, they'll attack just about anything that moves. Groggy as she is, there's no way Hara will be able to get away from it._

Vhisola came to a stop a short distance away from the stasis tube. Letting go of her captive, she readied her disk launcher again and began backing up. When she was as far away as she could get while still having a clear shot, the crazed Matoran came to a halt and began to wait. Eerily still she stood, carefully watching both Hara and the wolf that would be her demise. It seemed like an eternity, but Vhisola remained patient—no effort was too great to protect her relationship with Nokama.

At last, Hara stirred. Vhisola fired a disk, watched it strike the tube, and then turned and sprinted for the exit. Hissing filled the air as stasis gas leaked out, quickly replaced by the furious snarling of the Kavinika as it woke from its long rest. The Rahi broke its way out of the tube and looked around, eyes settling on Hara.

Now conscious, the unfortunate Ga-Matoran sat up and clutched the side of her head. A low growl alerted her to the Kavinika's presence.

As she sealed the tunnel entrance, Vhisola could not help but smile at the faint screams that reached her ears.

* * *

The next day, Vhisola happily walked into Nokama's class as if nothing had happened. When class was over, she approached the teacher and asked if she would like to play some akilini.

"Well…" Nokama muttered, looking out over the classroom, "I did have an appointment with Hara, but she doesn't seem to be here today. I'd like to wait a few more minutes and see if she shows up, but if she doesn't, I'd be delighted to join you."

Grinning, Vhisola returned to her desk and watched the clock patiently. She had nothing to worry about, after all. Hara wouldn't be coming to steal Nokama away ever again.

* * *

Notes:

In 2013 I got it in my head that Vhisola could fit into the yandere archetype. I'm…not really sure what else to say about this one.

Since then I have tried to characterize her in a somewhat more mellow way, but all I have to show with that is a four-parter I'll probably post once the anthology is complete.


	3. Hint to Greatness

Ehrye pushed open the crystalline door and strolled into the room. "Nuju, I have a delivery for you!"

Not taking his eye off the telescope, Nuju said, "I have told you before, Ehrye: you must learn to knock."

"Well…do you want the delivery or not?"

Nuju sighed. The scholar turned and snatched the tablet from Ehrye's hand, noticing that its cloth covering had been unfolded. He gripped the item tightly.

"You opened it."

Ehrye tried to back away slightly. "Well, I was curious. If I'm going to be a scholar someday, I need to start learning as much as I can. It's some fascinating research you and Jaa are working on! I was wondering—"

Nuju held up his hand to silence the messenger. Very slowly, he walked over to his desk, set down the tablet, and then tapped his fingers a few times. Before long, he leaned down to open the bottom drawer and pulled out a stack of dusty tablets. He set them on the table, turned to Ehrye, and pointed to them.

"Take these to Tower 19."

Ehrye's eyes widened. "19?! You're kidding!"

Nuju said nothing. Remembering that the scholar never liked to repeat a request, Ehrye sullenly gathered the stone slabs into his bag and headed out the door.

Tower 19 was far from Nuju's tower, all the way at the border to Onu-Metru. But it wasn't the long trip that bothered Ehrye. This particular Knowledge Tower had been designated as storage for things the scholars no longer saw any use for, with the intention being that they could be safely preserved until someone had use for them once more. However, in Ko-Metru, things with no further use for the future were considered little more than trash, and Tower 19 had become a thing of disgust. Nothing that went through its doors was ever seen again, earning its reputation as "the graveyard of ideas." Scholars made use of it due to encouragement from Turaga Dume, but rarely travelled there themselves, leaving it a derogatory task assigned to messengers as punishment.

This would be Ehrye's tenth visit…or perhaps twelfth? He had lost count after dropping off Jaa's disproven Spirit Star Theory. Regardless, it never became any less humiliating.

When Ehrye stepped through the doors, he immediately spotted the tower's caretaker asleep on his desk. He kicked the piece of furniture, providing enough vibration to jolt the old Matoran awake.

"Huh?! Oh, Ehrye. Back so soon?"

Ehrye scowled. "I have some old prediction logs from Nuju. Where do you want me to file them?"

The caretaker mumbled to himself and went over some notes he had hastily chiseled down. The process took longer than Ehrye had hoped, but eventually he was directed to the far corner of the first floor, where an ancient cabinet topped with a pile of relics stood.

Ehrye tried the door. It was stuck. He pulled harder to no avail, and then decided to give a violent tug. All he succeeded in doing was burying himself in a rain of debris.

"Clean that up!" the caretaker shouted. "If it's so difficult, then just leave the tablets there and I'll put them away myself."

Ehrye dug himself out and sat up. A dizzy feeling overcame him, alerting him to the fact that his mask had been dislodged in the avalanche. Blindly grasping for it, he cut himself on the jagged edge of some glass object.

 _Oh great._

When at last he found his mask, Ehrye reattached it and sighed with relief. He took a good look at what he had cut his hand on: half of a broken globe of black glass with ancient star charts printed on it.

Despite himself, Ehrye chuckled. This artifact was more infamous in Ko-Metru, for it was something else that became no less humiliating over time. Ages ago, an eccentric scholar had theorized that the world they inhabited was round and floated inside a shell imprinted with stars, which spun as the stars changed. Once the domes were discovered, that particular scholar had disappeared rather quickly.

It seemed like a good place to start. Picking up the shattered globe, Ehrye stepped towards the ladder granting access to the top of the cabinet, but something made him pause. A very small tablet could be seen inside the remains of the globe. Fishing it out, Ehrye squinted—tiny lettering had been carved into the piece of stone. Ehrye had trained himself to read small print (through reading the many detailed tablets of scholars that he had been tasked with delivering), so he was just barely able to make out the words:

"In Ko-Metru, find where sky and ice are joined."

Ehrye frowned. _What is this supposed to be?_

He absent-mindedly turned the stone over. On the side opposite the riddle, there was an image of a Kanoka with the code 429. A Great Disk. Gradually, the confusion gave way to surprised awe.

 _Is this…a clue to finding Ko-Metru's Great Disk?!_

The caretaker yawned loudly. Remembering that he was being watched, Ehrye tucked the stone into his bag and hurriedly cleaned up the mess. Once he was back on the street, he slipped into an alleyway and took another look at the small tablet.

Ehrye was unsure how to proceed. If this really was a clue to the Great Disk's location, he could easily rise to the rank of scholar—maybe even higher. But was a hint such as this really so reliable? It was likely planted by that eccentric scholar, and if he could be so wrong about one thing, perhaps he was wrong about this as well.

He cast a glance back up at Tower 19. Cracks ran all along the crystal's length, and there were places where entire chunks had been torn out.

Ehrye smiled. _If it's wrong, no one will know. I'm not going to miss my chance._

He ran off towards his next stop, already wondering which Knowledge Tower his office would be placed in.

* * *

Notes:

Another contest entry, another spotlight on a Great Disk Matoran. I had to rush the ending a bit to keep it under the word limit, but still, I think this is one of my favorites out of the stories presented here.

Ehrye never really struck me as a bad guy. He's described as impatient and impulsive, making him quite out of place amongst Ko-Matoran—so Tower 19 was presented as a similar paradox he could be associated with to illustrate how outcast he was. And of course, a tower people preferred to forget about seemed like a good place to hide the clue to finding such a legendary artifact.


	4. Opportunity for Ambition

Tehutti rolled his eyes as Mavrah came running into the study.

"Tehutti! Come—come see this!"

Mavrah tried to pull Tehutti from his seat, but Tehutti refused to budge.

"Calm down!" Tehutti snapped. "What are you going on about now?"

Mavrah beat his hand against the table in excitement, saying, "I've found it! I've found a remarkable specimen! You have to see it!"

Tehutti could not bring himself to care about Mavrah's ramblings any more than usual. His job of going over these tablets, however, had become so tedious that the lines appeared to be running together. After quickly making sure there were no Rorzakh around, he set down the tablets and got out of his seat.

Mavrah dragged him down the hall to an elevator and pressed the button to summon it, bouncing excitedly as they waited.

"You're embarrassing yourself," Tehutti said. "You know that, right?"

Unfazed, Mavrah's eyes continued to gleam with energy. "You'll understand once you see it! Oh, Tehutti, it's so magnificent! It's unbelievable!"

 _What's unbelievable is how you can jump continuously like that without gears flying out of your body…_

The two of them stepped into the elevator when it arrived. Mavrah pressed the button for the lowest available sublevel; his movement calmed a bit so as not to rock the lift, but his foot was rapidly tapping. Just as the noise was about to drive Tehutti insane, the doors opened, and Mavrah dashed out. The leader tugged on Tehutti's arm hard, creating a sharp pain and nearly dislocating his shoulder.

"Ouch! Hey, careful with that!"

"Sorry! Just hurry! It's this way!"

Tehutti shook his head and ran faster to avoid having his arm torn off. Mavrah always did this whenever he discovered something: he would get overexcited, grab the nearest friend he could find, and drag them away to join in his elation. Usually, he turned out to be mistaken. Even though he had been right a few times, Mavrah hadn't even been able to secure an exhibit with his name on it yet, but oddly enough he did not seem discouraged by this.

That didn't make sense to Tehutti. An Archivist wasn't really an Archivist until he had at least one exhibit to his name—that was just how things worked in Onu-Metru. Of course, there was only a limited amount of history to study and Rahi to catalogue. It was very difficult to pass the criteria for a new exhibit these days.

His frustration now amplified, Tehutti asked, "Just how much farther is this, Mavrah? How much time do you think I have to waste?"

Mavrah grumbled, "It's not a waste of time…not much farther, okay?"

"At least tell me what it is."

"No, you have to see it!"

"Sometimes, Mavrah…"

The sublevels were extremely bare, especially compared to the rest of the Archives. A few doors lined each tunnel, but most were locked, and even some of the Archivists who had the keys still weren't sure what was inside each chamber. It took a few minutes before Mavrah finally came to a stop before a bend in the tunnel.

"Alright, are you ready?"

"…No. Maybe you should drag me around a bit more until I am."

"Oh, shut up. Just take a look at this!"

The Onu-Matoran both stepped around the corner. Trapped beneath a transparent container (with a pile of rocks on top to keep it from being moved) alongside the tunnel's side was a Fikou. However, this was a Fikou unlike any Tehutti had ever seen. It was about the size of his fist—not an entirely uncommon size—but a spiked tail extended from its rear, and even from this distance it could be seen glowing with an eerie magenta light.

"…Oh," was the first word that came out of Tehutti's mouth.

Mavrah beamed with pride. "See?! What did I tell you?! A bioluminescent Fikou with a tail! Nobody's ever recorded one of these, which means I discovered it! And that's not all—take a closer look."

Tehutti cautiously approached the trapped creature, which stood its ground and thrashed its tail back and forth in response. Further observation revealed that the Fikou had scales covering its body, and its head looked more like an ice bat…well, a three-eyed ice bat.

"Remarkable…" Tehutti said. "Can you even still call this a Fikou? It's like an entirely different species."

"I guess we will need a new name, won't we?" Mavrah mused. "Maybe the 'Mavrah spider'? I sort of like the sound of that! Haha, this will get me an exhibit for sure!"

The Fikou kicked the glass, but the Matoran paid its aggression no mind. Turning back to his friend, Tehutti said, "I guess so…congratulations, Mavrah."

"Don't be jealous, Tehutti, I'll give you a footnote in my report. Help me get this thing to the upper levels, alright?"

Tehutti sighed as Mavrah began to clear the rocks off the top of the container. He turned around just as the last stone was removed, and watched as the Fikou suddenly backed up against the side opposite of where Mavrah stood. The container slipped out of Mavrah's grasp and over a ridge in the ground, causing its edge to bounce up and provide just enough space for the Rahi to slip free.

"Grab it!" Mavrah shouted as he lunged.

The Fikou evaded his grasp, causing him to hit the ground and dislodge his mask. Before he could replace it, the Fikou spun around and used its tail to deal a blow to the Onu-Matoran's temple, sending him sprawling.

Tehutti stepped forward and kicked the Rahi into the wall. While it was still stunned, he grabbed the container and slammed it down, capturing the creature once more. Keeping one hand firmly in place, he grabbed Mavrah's mask and placed it back on his friend's face.

"Mavrah? Mavrah, are you alright?"

Mavrah stirred. He sat up slowly, muttering, "Tehutti…? Ugh, what happened?"

"The Rahi escaped," Tehutti explained. "It struck you in the head…does it hurt?"

Rubbing his wound, Mavrah said, "Rahi? What Rahi? How did we get here?"

Mavrah's eyes settled on the Fikou. He reacted with awe, shouting, "What the…?! Wow, amazing! A bioluminescent…Fikou? Or is it something different? Incredible!"

He scurried up to the container, observing the Rahi with fresh interest. Confused, Tehutti said, "Um…you don't remember it?"

Mavrah shook his head. "Last thing I remember is…sorting some receipts and ticket stubs with Whenua."

"…Mavrah…that was yesterday."

"Yesterday? But it feels like I was just there…"

It was then that Tehutti noticed venom dripping from the Fikou's tail. As he figured out what was happening, he knelt and looked directly into Mavrah's eyes.

"Mavrah…I think, when this Rahi attacked you, it injected you with some venom that wiped some of your memory. About 24 hours worth, I would guess."

Mavrah thought for a moment. "…Oh…then we'd better be careful in transporting it upstairs."

Tehutti shook his head. "You still want to get it upstairs?"

"You don't? With a discovery like this, you'd really make a name for yourself!"

"Hm?"

"You found a remarkable specimen, Tehutti! I'm sure they'll want to put it in an exhibit right away. Wow, your first exhibit…I'm a little jealous."

Tehutti's gaze drifted to the Fikou. _That's right—he doesn't remember discovering this thing. Now he thinks I'm the one who found it…_

After a few moments of silence, Mavrah asked, "Tehutti? Something wrong?"

Tehutti grinned. "No…nothing at all. You're right—we should get this upstairs. Thanks again for offering to help me."

"You owe me for taking a hit, though."

"Of course, Mavrah."

The two of them began to carefully move the container, goading the Fikou along. Tehutti found it difficult to concentrate. He was far too excited that he was finally, finally going to get an exhibit with his name on it.

* * *

Mavrah walked in to find Tehutti with his head in his hands. "What's wrong?"

Tehutti didn't respond. A message from the Head Archivist was lying on his desk, so Mavrah quietly pulled it closer.

 _TEHUTTI_

 _We thank you for submitting the Fikou specimen for further review. I must inform you, however, that earlier we received a correspondence from a Ga-Metru school. Apparently, a group of students was conducting illegal experiments with energized protodermis and created several mutant Rahi, including a bioluminescent lizard-Fikou that found its way out into the city. We believe this specimen you discovered to be the escaped subject. Given this new information, I am afraid we cannot put the Fikou up on display, as it is both unnatural and the result of illegal activity. It is my dearest hope…_

Not needing to read the rest, Mavrah set the tablet down and looked back to Tehutti. "I'm so sorry, Tehutti. Maybe you'll have better luck next time."

* * *

Notes:

This is another favorite of mine. Tehutti never seemed too bad either, but here he's presented as decidedly more underhanded in pursuing his goals, willing to do even what he knows isn't right if it means he can achieve them. But since we couldn't upset things too much, a karmic return was necessary.

Hm, you know, this makes me want to do something new with Tehutti. It really has been too long.


	5. A Machine's Philosophy

_Surrender or run,_ Whenua mused. _Perhaps it really is that simple._

The Turaga of Earth ambled about the shattered remains of Metru-Nui. The blow that had killed Makuta Teridax had left the city damaged beyond repair, forcing its inhabitants (along with the rest of the universe) to evacuate to the new world of Spherus Magna. Uncertain times lay ahead, but everyone was willing to do their part, including Whenua.

But first…

Having spent years as an Archivist, Whenua held great respect for the lessons of the past, and always believed they provided answers necessary for the future. As a side-effect, the former hero often found himself lost in a wave of nostalgia. Before setting his sights on the future, he had decided, he would take one last look around his old home.

It had been more difficult than he had expected, not just due to the pain of leaving a city he had abandoned once before, but because harsh sunlight streamed in through a massive breach above. Whenua knew it would be some time before his eyes fully adjusted to the intense light that now lit his days.

Proceeding with his exploration, Whenua had found countless artifacts of a time long past—Kanoka, fragmented Masks of Power, and chute stations that had seen no activity for days or more. But now he stood over something that he had been truly shocked to find: the pieces of a deactivated Vahki.

The Turaga suppressed a shudder. As a Matoran he had lived in fear of the mechanical enforcers, and even as a Toa the mere sight of them had filled him with dread. Even he, as much as he loved the past, was happy that the Matoran had forgotten all about them as a result of Makuta's tampering with their memories, and hoped that they would simply fade out of history.

"Surrender or run." That was what the Matoran had been told to do when caught by a Vahki. So dedicated were the robots that when they acquired a target, they would not rest until they hunted down and subdued it. This statement, which became something of a motto, informed lawbreakers that they could either turn themselves in, or flee for a brief time before being captured anyway.

Whenua smiled. _Or so they said._

Though capture by Vahki was always made out to be inevitable, he and the other Toa Metru had bested them on more than one occasion. They had chosen to run—to fight—and had in the end succeeded in completing their destiny. It had seemed a daunting task, perhaps even impossible, but they persisted and found a way to win.

Now, the entire universe Whenua had ever known faced a challenge that seemed far greater. Spherus Magna was, without a doubt, an exceptionally dangerous place. Already Toa had disappeared, disasters had occurred, and villains had slipped into the shadows with unknown purposes in mind. The way the Toa and Matoran reacted to these threats could determine their entire future.

 _We could surrender—just give up and face extinction. The Great Beings created us to keep Mata Nui alive so that he could fulfill his duty, and now that he has, we have completed our purpose as well._

Whenua bent over the head of what had once been a Vahki Rorzakh. Without hesitation, he impaled it with his drill.

 _Or we could run. We disregard the odds and make a new life here. Great Beings or not, I refuse to let anyone give my people an expiration date. I have defied order before, and now we shall all do so again. Past experience tells me that is the right course to take._

As he turned to leave his world behind for good, Whenua could not help but chuckle. After all their centuries of spreading fear, the Vahki had just managed to give him hope.

* * *

Notes:

This story was actually the first one I wrote for those contests. "Surrender or run" was the theme, and I wanted to broaden it a bit and see if I could apply it to the trials the Matoran would face on Spherus Magna. Whenua seemed a natural choice.


	6. Woe Betide

"Only a Toa so mighty can ride, anyone else, woe betide."

The Matoran paused, hammer in mid-swing. "Ooh, I like that! I should write that down! Only a Toa so mighty can ride…"

Pulling his hammer back again, he resumed pounding the piece into place. The canister was beginning to take shape now—or at least he thought it was. It was difficult to see with such little light.

"How many will this be—four? How foolish, to lose track of that!"

The Matoran got up, putting as little weight as possible on his badly-twisted leg. He hobbled down the edge of the water, passing three large silver canisters as he went.

"Yes, this will be four. Get it together! Lose track again and I might make a seventh."

A shudder rocked the small villager. As he limped back to the half-complete canister, he heard scuttling movement in the darkness.

He froze. For all he knew, that sound could be anything—the Manas come to devour him, Karzahni come to drag him back to the forge, or something beyond his imagination. When a small lizard-like Rahi scampered up to him, he sighed with relief.

"You scared me. You're not here to hurt me…are you?"

The Rahi cocked its head.

"Hahaha! No, I suppose not. Forgive me, I've grown jumpy after all these years."

He sat down carefully, his damaged leg jutting out at an odd angle. Picking up his tools, he resumed work on the fourth canister for a few seconds before turning back to the Rahi.

"I can't say I recognize you…then again, I can't say I recognize much of anything. Why, I probably wouldn't even recognize my own reflection! Not that I'd have any use for a mirror down here, mind you."

Wondering why this giant was babbling at him, the Rahi inched closer, though it was sure to stay well out of reach.

"What was I saying? Oh, yes, I'm afraid I don't know what species you are. Or maybe your species doesn't have a name? Don't feel bad—I don't have a name either. Well, perhaps I used to have one, but not anymore."

Turning around, the lizard headed for one of the completed canisters. Upon seeing this, the Matoran dropped his tools and shouted out, "No!"

The Rahi stopped dead in its tracks.

"I don't mean to raise my voice, but it's dangerous! Don't you know what that is?"

Tentatively, the Rahi faced the Matoran once more. It almost seemed attentive.

Proudly, the Matoran proclaimed, "It's a Toa Canister, of course! And after all, only a Toa so mighty can ride, anyone else, woe betide!"

He chuckled and resumed his work. Curious, the lizard edged a bit closer.

"Yes, we built plenty of them, my brothers and sisters and I. That, I can remember clear as day. Everything else—nope! It's all gone."

As he reached for a plate of metal, he noticed that the Rahi now sat about a bio away. He thought he might scare the creature again if he made any sudden movements, so he pretended not to notice.

"But they didn't even tell the Toa about the canisters—not except for Tahu and Kopaka, of course. That hurt a bit, knowing they wouldn't know all the work we put into them. Not that I need acknowledgement, of course, I just think it's a shame to see something so wonderful be used without respect. Oh, there I go speaking ill of the Toa again. If Kopaka ever wakes up he'll freeze me for sure."

The Rahi was now close enough to run over several of the tools laid out. The Matoran slowly reached for a firestaff he could use to weld the pieces together.

"Then again, even if they do wake up, they'll never find me here. Nobody will find me here. That's why I'm building these canisters—it helps pass the time, and there is so much time to pass. There's more to it than that, though. Doing this helps me remember a bit about my old life. Not much, but every little bit is like a hidden treasure I never knew was there, and it's such a wonderful surprise!"

As he was welding, the Matoran felt the Rahi poking at his leg. He looked down and regarded the creature with a friendly smile.

"…Can you keep a secret?"

There was a pause in the conversation. After a time, however, the Rahi leapt up onto the Matoran and climbed all the way to his shoulder.

"Okay…once, I thought about using a canister to leave this place."

He waited for a response. The lizard's tongue flicked out of its mouth briefly.

"I know, it was a ridiculous idea. Look at me! It's obvious I'm no Toa, and only a Toa so mighty can ride, anyone else, woe betide. The last thing I need is woe."

Its work done, the Matoran moved to set down the firestaff. Before he could react, the Rahi rushed down his arm, onto the cave floor, and off into the darkness. He stared after it for a moment, and then returned to his work once again.

"Who was I talking to? Can't they see I'm busy? This is an important service for the Toa! Only a Toa so mighty can ride…"

* * *

Notes:

Not much to say about this one, really. It was written for a contest—I don't remember the theme, but it didn't end up winning anyway, so eh.


	7. Averted Trial

"Yep," Kualus commented, "it's definitely been through here."

He dismounted the Thornatus and waited for Onua to climb out of the cockpit. The Toa Nuva's adaptive armor shifted as he did so, reverting to a form identical to his original armor.

Before them lay the Valley of the Maze—or rather, its ruins. The once intimidating labyrinth was now nothing but a shattered wreck, with twisted walls and scrap metal jutting out at random. A layer of soot covered the rubble, leaving a dark trail running directly to the massive volcano at the heart of the mess.

"Guess the Great Beings didn't do as good a job fortifying the place as they thought," Kualus said. "Or they never expected a fiery dragon to come charging in."

In the confusion around the destruction of the Matoran Universe, a massive Rahi known as the Kanohi Dragon had escaped its prison on the island of Xia and flown off over the plains of Spherus Magna. It was difficult to suppress the panic that followed. The Kanohi Dragon was infamous for the destruction it had caused on Metru-Nui, and for the effort and time it took for the Toa Mangai to eventually defeat it. The thought of battling it while the evacuation was in progress was an unpleasant one.

Luckily, word had arrived—a nomad has spotted the Dragon flying towards the Valley of the Maze, a cryptic location that had once been home to the Great Beings. At its center was the Great Volcano, a massive source of heat that must have drawn the creature's attention. Kualus and Onua had been dispatched immediately to subdue it once more.

Onua summoned his Kanohi Kakama Nuva and activated its power, reaching out with his mind to share the burst of speed with his companion. The two Toa rocketed through the ruins in a matter of minutes, coming to a halt at the base of the volcano.

"You are sure that your Mask of Rahi Control will not work on it?" Onua asked.

Kualus shook his head. "My team fought this thing before, remember? It's an old and powerful Rahi—too strong to be controlled. Might have a chance once it's weakened, but I didn't try last time."

"I will draw its attention, then," the Toa of Earth said. "You attack from another angle with ice blasts. If you see an opportunity where the mask might work, take it."

His armor changed again, this time sprouting jet boosters at his shoulders and ankles. Grabbing Kualus by the arms, Onua mentally activated the equipment and rose into the air, soon reaching the top of the Great Volcano and depositing the Toa of Ice on its edge.

Kualus used his Sub-Zero Spear to steady himself. _The heat is more intense than I expected…where's the Dragon?_

Carefully, he peered over the edge. Pipes and tubes ran down the interior of the Volcano, some sticking out of the walls and forming ledges with what appeared to be maintenance consoles. Stretched across three of these ledges was the Kanohi Dragon, its wings folded in and its eyes closed.

 _It's asleep? Hardly looks like an engine of destruction when it's like this._

Kualus furrowed his brow. _In fact…it actually looks peaceful. This volcano has become its nest, hasn't it? It's found a place where it can thrive without the annoyance of intrusions. Judging by the state of the Maze, it had to work pretty hard to find it._

Onua floated down and landed next to Kualus. His armor maintained its jets, but it had now morphed into a thicker, larger shell to protect its wearer from the heat. Freeze cannons were mounted on its wrists, and his Kanohi had taken the shape of a bulbous helmet with a transparent visor over his eyes.

"Are you ready?"

Hesitantly, Kualus replied, "This may sound crazy, but…maybe we should just leave it here."

Onua turned to his fellow Toa. Most companions would probably berate Kualus for his statement, claiming the heat was getting to him and preventing him from thinking clearly. Onua merely waited for him to explain.

"During my time as a Rahaga, I developed a real bond with Rahi—flyers, especially. You can't imagine the bliss they feel when they find the perfect nest, or the agony when a hunter takes that away from them. It may be more reptile than flyer, but I think this Dragon has found his perfect nest. All the heat he could ever want is right here, perpetually generated by the Great Beings' technology, and there's nothing for kio around that he has to compete with."

Kualus turned to the Dragon. "He's not hurting anyone by staying here. What real reason do we have for evicting him?"

Onua silently regarded the Rahi and considered Kualus's proposal. He was right, of course: the only living things they had passed in their journey had been a few Vorox and handful of other creatures he could not identify, none of which had ventured anywhere near the volcano. The Kanohi Dragon had to be captured because it was dangerous…but here, there was no one for it to pose a danger too.

"How do you want to explain this to Tahu?" Onua asked.

Kualus shrugged. "Spherus Magna is a big place. The Dragon was here before, but it's moved on, and we have no idea where to start looking."

Onua chuckled. "He won't be happy, but it'll probably go over better than saying we just let it go."

Placing a hand on Kualus's shoulder, he added, "A wise call, brother. We shall leave this Rahi in peace."

"Thank you," Kualus said. "…Can we get out of here now? This heat is awful!"

* * *

Notes:

Funny story about this one.

With these contests I keep mentioning, you were allowed to submit up to three entries. The only time I entered a single contest more than once was the contest that prompted this story, because after writing it, I felt displeased with it. So I wrote up the story I'll be posting next, thinking it would do much better than this one.

In the end, it was this story that won the contest. Go figure!

Taking another look, I think I can see why people liked this one. Kualus only had limited appearances in canon, especially as a Toa, so giving him a character moment here might've made some readers happy, and we've also got Onua being supportive as ever and showing off that awesome adaptive armor. Hey, a win's a win!


	8. Make It Stop

_Make it stop._

It was a simple phrase, one he had heard uttered time and time again. Never before had he realized how desperate a remark it truly was.

"MAKE IT STOP!"

The agony ceased. Gasping, the Toa relaxed his body and fell forward. The chains connecting him to the wall stopped him before he fell far.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

He looked up, glaring hatefully at the gold and blue armored Skakdi before him. The creature sneered at him, putting forth not even the slightest effort to hide just how much he was enjoying the Toa's pain.

With a chuckle, the Ce-Skakdi added, "I _can_ make it stop, you know. Just give me the password. That's all you have to do."

His tone was gentle with an undertone of menace, though such details were lost on the battered Toa. All he wanted was relief. Maybe he should give up the password—none of his brothers were coming to save him, so why should he protect them? At least this way he could save himself from—

"No," he choked, shaking his head. "No, I won't betray them!"

From across the room, another Skakdi, this one with red armor, groaned in frustration.

"Can't we just kill him?" she asked. "He's not gonna crack. If his friends are so important to him, let's ship him back to them piece by piece."

The Ce-Skakdi turned to her and growled, "And how will we get in then? You want to charge headfirst into a Toa stronghold?"

"Yes! Don't you want to go smash something? Besides, even if we get this mysterious password, there's no way they'll actually let us through!"

"Listen to me, you—"

Suddenly feeling heavy, the Ce-Skakdi paused and whirled on the Toa, delivering a blow to his maskless face. As the pressure went away, the Ce-Skakdi shook his head and grinned.

"Getting your strength back, I see," he said. "But it'll take more than a little extra gravity to save you."

Both Skakdi extended their arms. Instantly the Toa's mind was filled with a burning sensation, as if every thought was slowly smoldering away into nothing more than ash. The searing pain drowned out everything else, leaving him with nothing but slow, endless suffering that threatened to drive him mad.

"NO!" he screamed. "NO, PLEASE! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"

The Ce-Skakdi lowered his arms and the Toa went limp again. Angered, the Ta-Skakdi snapped, "If you let up every time he begs for mercy—"

"He will feel grateful," the Ce-Skakdi finished. "Remember that I've been at this much longer than you. Ugh, this would be so much easier if your predecessor was still here. I almost regret killing that oaf…"

The Ta-Skakdi narrowed her eyes. "Would you like to join him?"

"Let's not forget why we're here." He turned back to the Toa and grabbed his head, lifting it so that he could look into the eyes of his prisoner.

"N…no…" the Toa mumbled. "You…I can't let you enter the stronghold…you won't get your hands on those weapons!"

"So you won't help us?" the Ce-Skakdi asked. "That's all we want, Toa—just a little bit of help. With those weapons, we can free ourselves from Nektann's tyranny. Won't you help us fight for our freedom?"

The Toa looked directly into the Skakdi's eyes, his gaze filling with a resilience that should have been stripped away long ago.

"Skakdi don't fight for freedom. If you defeat Nektann, you'll just take over Zakaz yourself…and then, a few months later, some other warlord will overthrow you. I have no love for you wretched creatures, but I refuse to have your blood on my hands."

The Ce-Skakdi frowned. After staring at his captive a bit longer, he stood up and took a few steps back. Waving to his partner, he said, "Very well then. Your blood will be on her hands."

With savage glee, the Ta-Skakdi advanced towards the Toa. The hero merely closed his eyes and waited for it all to stop.

* * *

Notes:

This was entered into the same contest as the previous story. Though the previous story won, this one does feel a bit more personal, since it was inspired by a time when I was, um…"having an episode," and being very dramatic about it.

Setting that aside, the aspect I like the most is the display of Skakdi abilities. Skakdi's Elemental Powers only work in unison, but some combinations are difficult to envision, including Psionics with just about anything. I like the answer I came up with here…though, now that I think about it, perhaps it does seem a little redundant with Hakann's powers…


	9. The Principle of the Thing

Toa Hahli walked along the shore of Aqua Magna, clutching tightly the satchel slung over her shoulder. The waves roared quietly, rising up to her ankles as they washed in, and then washing out into the endless sea without a trace. She had missed these waters.

Up ahead she could see him: a massive being clad in white and gold, clutching a warhammer in one hand. Her fins twitched. She still wasn't sure she trusted this Makuta from an alternate universe, but she had already made her decision. Now was the time to take a leap of faith.

Teridax nodded as she came closer. "Greetings, Toa. They are ready for you."

"Thank you."

Teridax directed her towards a small grove of trees a few meters from the water's edge. On the grass were six familiar-looking Rahkshi, who snapped to attention when they saw the Toa and the Makuta who made them. Hahli looked them over, suppressing a shiver, and cleared her throat. She reached into her bag and withdrew a small light blue orb that shone softly in her palm.

"Some time ago, I discovered these crystals scattered about the island I called home," she said. "In truth, we still do not know exactly what they are, or where they came from. But, they activated some sort of mechanism that we now believe was placed in the Great Spirit's body by the Great Beings. And, in light of recent events…I am not sure that the Great Beings should be allowed to reclaim them.

"Thus, I turn them over to you. You are each to take a crystal and travel to the farthest reaches of this planet, where you will build a new temple to house it and ensure that it is well-guarded. Someday, someone may come searching for these treasures, and it will be up to you to determine if they are worthy. I can think of no guardians more fitting."

She came forward, handing the crystal to Guurakh, Rahkshi of Purity.

Next was the red crystal, which she gave to Turahk, Rahkshi of Courage.

The green crystal was given to Lerahk, Rahkshi of Faith.

A tan crystal was given to Panrahk, Rahkshi of Creation.

Vorahk, Rahkshi of Prosperity, was given a dark blue crystal.

And finally, a white crystal was given to Kurahk, Rahkshi of Peace.

Then they scattered. Each Rahkshi walked off in a different direction, the crystal they had been entrusted with safely tucked under their arm. Hahli watched until they disappeared from sight, and then turned and started back the way she had come.

"Fear not," Teridax said. "Rahkshi from my world are not as easily distracted as those of this dimension. They will focus all that they are upon their mission—no one will obtain the crystals unless they have been deemed worthy."

Hahli looked over her shoulder at him. "I dearly hope so. If Velika gets his hands on them, we have no way of knowing what he will unleash."

She chuckled. "To think we'd ever feel something is safer in the hands of Rahkshi…"

Teridax came up beside her. "If the crystals do hold power, then perhaps we should consider using them rather than sending them away."

Hahli shook her head. "We've observed them for so long and have learned nothing. Better they be sealed away, so that if something terrible should befall our people, our principles will live on to be learned by whoever comes next. We have to think of what kind of legacy we'll be leaving, just in case."

"If that is what you think is best."

They departed, leaving anything else on the matter to be decided by the Rahkshi. There were far more important things that demanded their attention.

* * *

Notes:

I've always wondered what Rahkshi were like in the Melding Universe, so this is sort of my stab at that, even if it is a little barebones.

I should be upfront: I did take some liberties. The six "classic" Rahkshi powers each have a corresponding Principle in direct opposition to it, which is where I got the idea to include the Crystals from MNOGII. But, not every opposing pair has matching colors. For instance, Purity, the Principle of Ga-Koro, is opposed by Poison, the power of Lerahk. But here, I chose to prioritize the color-coordination, so Guurahk was made the Rahkshi of Purity instead.

There really isn't a whole lot to it, but it seemed fairly well-liked when I posted it, so I got ideas about what else I could do with this concept. The next three stories are related to this, but I'll explain that as I go.


	10. Towards No End

Sunlight poured into the jungle, finding its way to the orange and white Toa carefully pushing aside branches and bushes. His armor was of a strange design, and the Mask of Emulation he wore was soft and organic-looking, almost as if it were alive. Strapped to his back was a large, round, orange shield with concentric white circles along its surface.

He stepped forward into the clearing and saw a large object rising like a cliff face above him. It was covered in moss, so it was hard to identify from a distance. As he came closer, though, he could see the gleam of metal beneath it.

 _Finally._

Sukahu began to scrape the moss away. He was a bit eager after spending so many weeks wandering across Bara Magna, but he quickly reminded himself that he had to be as careful as possible. Once he had cleaned an area about his height, he pushed against the metal, testing how sturdy it was. He kicked it once and sighed. Kneeling, he pointed two fingers at one corner and clenched his teeth. A thin, short beam of lightning extended from his extremities, producing heat that he could feel even from arm's length, and pierced through the metal like it was nothing. Sukahu slowly drew his arm up, then over, then down, before quickly deactivating his power and kicking the plate of metal inward.

A long hallway was visible, but its end was shrouded in complete darkness. Sukahu drew his shield as he advanced. With a mental command, the circles on the surface of the Neon Rondache lit up, allowing him to press further into the ruins. A rustling sound reached his ear—he spun around, but there was nothing.

 _I suppose it was the wind…_

He continued onward. The walls were lined with ancient-looking screens and dials, most of them cracked and crumbling, some hanging on only by a few tight wires. Eventually the hall ended in a staircase, which he ascended to the highest available level. The room he came to was somewhat cramped and had a curved console on the far end.

 _This has to be it._

Angling his shield towards the floor, he surveyed the room, and from the corner of one eye he saw the light reflecting off something. He turned and moved closer. Lying on the floor was a weapon. From its handle it split into two branches that curved out and then upward, and the inner tip of one branch then curved inward towards the middle of the weapon before curving out and rising into a long blade. Sukahu's jaw dropped.

 _It's really here…the Sword of the Great Spirit…!_

The Toa stepped towards the Sword, when suddenly something struck him in the back and launched him into the console. He slumped onto the floor and shook his head, barely looking up in time to raise his shield against another attack.

"You have done well…but your journey has ended…"

The voice was a coarse whisper Sukahu could only just hear. He looked up at the being it belonged to: a tall warrior made completely of sand, her body molded into the shape of armor and spikes lining the edges of her head. Her face was completely smooth save for two glowing orange eyes. Clouds of sand circulated around her body, waiting at her command to resume their assault.

"Who are you?" Sukahu asked.

"I am one of those chosen by the Great Beings to embody the Elements. Eons ago, I led the tribe of Sand in the Core War, only to be thwarted at every turn by not only my brothers, but the very planet itself."

Sukahu thought back to the old legends. "…You are an Element Lord?"

"I am the Lord of Sand. Now that you have unsealed this place, I have come to claim the Sword of the Great Spirit for my own."

Sukahu got to his feet, being sure to keep his shield forward. "Ah. You want its power. Do the Element Lords struggle still to this day?"

The Sand Lord stood as still as a statue as she watched. "On and on, throughout the years, until the end of time if a victor cannot be named. The forces of nature are ever at war. None can ever overtake the others, if left with their own ability."

"And you think the Sword will allow you to upset that balance?"

"You must also know the legends. Rumors that this Sword is imbued with the power of Life. With such a power, the Vorox could be transformed into the ultimate army, and we could lay waste to the other Element Lords. Our long war would finally, finally, be over."

"And then what?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all…finally, a long, eternal rest at the end of the endless struggle."

Sukahu paused. "I can't let you take that Sword."

The sands around the Lord began to swirl faster. "I do not expect you to let me. I know not why you crave the power of Life, but it is of no concern. I will not miss the opportunity to finally end this."

The Sand Lord slowly raised one hand. Before she could react, Sukahu's Kanohi flashed, and the sand suddenly compressed around its master, forming into bindings that dragged her back towards the stairwell. Sukahu lunged towards the Sword and scooped it up. The Sand Lord reasserted her control and sent the sand towards the Toa, but Sukahu activated his mask again, bringing the sand to a halt. He could feel the will of the Sand Lord fighting against his own, but he held firm—he had finally found the cure he had wanted so long, and his willpower had never been stronger.

The stalemate dragged on for what felt like hours, Sukahu clutching the Sword and his shield while he and the Lord of Sand stared each other down, an army of confused sand particles hovering in the space between them ready to kill one commander as soon as the other wavered. When the silence was finally broken, Sukahu was too focused to understand the question posed to him, so the Sand Lord repeated it.

"Why do you not simply end it?"

"I'm trying to."

"I saw you enter this place. Your powers could destroy me, and yet you instead turn my own against me."

"…Toa don't kill unless there's no choice."

"I am not giving you a choice. You must kill me, or I will kill you. Do you not value your life? Do you not value the Sword, or what you intend to do with it?"

Sukahu grunted. "I have important plans for this Sword, don't you worry. But I…it's none of your business why I'm not using my powers."

The Sand Lord stared at him. Suddenly, she relinquished his hold on the sand, and it turned back upon her, punching a hole in the side of her torso. Sukahu stumbled back in surprise.

"Was it the distraction? Now you have been freed from it. Take this opportunity to kill me, or I will kill you, and you will never get the chance to use the Sword."

Sukahu looked at the Sword. He started to raise his hand, but then he shook his head.

"Your plans must not be that important after all."

"Shut up! You have no idea what my plans are!"

"True. But you have made me curious. What reason is so important, yet not important enough to use your power for?"

Sukahu glared at the Sand Lord for a long time. He then grabbed the Sword with both hands, locked his eyes on it, and shouted, "Sword of the Great Spirit! Unleash your energies now—grant me what I desire!"

He closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them. He felt no different at all.

"…What? Activate!"

Nothing happened. He tried channeling his thoughts into it like a Toa Tool, and yet still, nothing happened. It felt like a simple tool—empty, possessing no powers whatsoever.

"No…no, this can't be…"

He dropped the blade and fell to his knees. "The legends were wrong? It…doesn't have the power of Life?"

The Sand Lord shouted. Her sand wrapped around the Sword and carried it towards her, and after holding it in her hands a moment, she threw it against the wall.

Sukahu looked at his hand, features twisted with rage. "So what, then? I'm stuck with this curse forever? There's no way for any of us to become normal?! No way for me to escape this wretched destructiveness?!"

He punched the floor, screaming. The Sand Lord watched him, still silent, her sand now lying in a motionless heap.

"…Are you going to kill me now?" Sukahu asked.

"Killing you would not end my struggle…but, would it end yours?"

Sukahu looked up into the Sand Lord's eerie eyes.

Eventually, he stood up.

"I need to return to New Atero," he muttered. "If I don't go back, then another Toa might come out here…it's better they know now that this won't work."

The Sand Lord turned and left. Sukahu walked over to the Sword and, reluctantly, picked it up. Then he too made his way back outside.

* * *

Notes:

Like I said, this is connected to The Principle of the Thing, but it probably isn't immediately apparent how.

My idea was to write a story set long after the Reformation that would come to involve the Crystals and the Melding Rahkshi who guarded them. This story and the next two were meant to flesh out a trio of Toa who would take center stage in that story. The end result never came about, though. I'll share more details later.

Also, did you know that the Sand-Lord is female? I didn't until recently. I had to make some quick edits to this story before posting it here.

But anyway. Here I tried to make a story where the exposition was more implicit, and that carries over into the next two as well. If it wasn't clear, Sukahu is a Toa Inika of Plasma. Since this is about 100,000 years after the Reformation, I thought it might make sense if all Toa now were the product of the Red Star's "Toa beam", (probably as a result of Marendar wiping out all former Toa-I was really into that possibility for the longest time) and, well…most of them are probably not happy about it. Your Element gets laced with Lightning, which is going to impose some extra limitations, and you get this wonky organic armor and living masks to make it even less pleasant. Of course, Sukahu would hate what he is even without being an Inika: Plasma is a purely destructive Element, after all. He went looking for Mata Nui's sword to try to change himself into a regular Toa with a different Element, and so that all the Toa Inika running around could stop being Inika as well. But their problem isn't going to go away so easily.


	11. Malleable

The Bone Hunter surveyed the desert from his Rock Steed. Aside from a few Zesk burrowing under a dune nearby, the sands were still.

It was some time before they appeared. Two more Rock Steeds came running out towards him, each carrying another Hunter and one sporting a second passenger. The Bone Hunter dismounted and stepped forward as they pulled up before him.

"You're sure you weren't followed?" asked one of the others.

"What do you think?" he retorted. "Hand over the prisoner already."

The jailer pushed his passenger off onto the sand. She was a Turaga with organic green armor, bound in vines and with a sack drawn over her head. Landing beside her, the jailer pulled her to her feet and prepared to trade her off.

That was when the second jailer jumped between them. "Wait."

The Hunter growled. "What now?"

"You were given a pass phrase. We have to be sure this isn't a trick."

"Waste of my time," the Hunter muttered, shaking his head.

The second jailer drew his sword. "Out with it. If you don't know it—"

The Hunter drew his Thornax launcher. The first jailer ducked, pulling the prisoner back with him, while the second leapt forward and slashed through the Hunter's midsection. He disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving his attacker very confused when a blade pierced his back. Electrical energy filled his body, and after a few long seconds, he felt nothing.

The other jailer looked at the Toa of Iron who had appeared, her orange and gunmetal armor the same fleshy substance as his Turaga prisoner. From behind her gunmetal Mahiki, her cold eyes stared out at him, as if their vibrant green blaze was about to consume him. He shakily held his sword against the Turaga's neck for a few more seconds before hopping back onto his Rock Steed.

As he sped off, the Toa sliced one finger through the vines holding the Turaga and removed the sack from her head. Brilliant light obscured her face. The Toa produced an organic green Noble Huna and placed it on the Turaga, who began to stir. She then stood tall, aimed her Lightstone Rifle at the fleeing Hunter, and fired.

"Ugh," the Turaga moaned as she sat up. "Dreynarn? Is that you?"

Dreynarn nodded. She held one hand out, using her power to drag the stunned Hunter across the sands by his armor. "How is your health, Turaga Leum?"

The Turaga got to her feet. "I'm alright. A bit sore, but I can pull myself together before we get back to…"

She trailed off as her eyes caught the corpse.

"You didn't need to kill him."

The other Hunter was in Dreynarn's hand now. She shook her head and replied, "I did."

Her captive blinked. He struggled, but Dreynarn held him steady.

"Why did you kidnap the Turaga?"

"I…I don't know!"

Dreynarn stored her Rifle on her back and punched the Hunter in the stomach. "I do not believe you."

Leum pulled at her arm. "Dreynarn!"

The Hunter coughed. "Th-The Skrall wanted her. I don't know why—honest! We didn't ask a lot of questions, we were just looking to get paid!"

Dreynarn turned to Leum. "Hm…the Skrall have been displeased with you since the mine negotiations."

Looking back to the Hunter, she focused her Elemental Power upon him, willing his armor to compress and bend, slowly crushing him to death.

"Dreynarn!" Leum shouted. "Stop this!"

The Toa dropped the Hunter, who was already dead. "They may have alerted others. It would have been unwise to allow him to escape."

She mounted her Rock Steed and waited for Leum to join her. Eventually, the Turaga sighed and climbed aboard, and they were off across the sand.

Dunes blurred past them. Keeping her eyes forward, Dreynarn asked, "You have objections, Turaga?"

Leum grunted. "Don't misunderstand, I'm thankful for the rescue. But…I still don't think you needed to kill them."

"I explained my reasons."

"Yes, and they're perfectly logical. But you're a Toa."

"Indeed I am. What relevance does that have?"

Leum looked up, watching the sparse clouds over them. "I'm old, Dreynarn. I can remember when Toa still had a Code—when they thought being a hero meant adhering to certain principals in all but the most dire of times. I guess I'm just nostalgic."

"The Code was abandoned for a reason, Turaga. This world is very different. We had no choice but to adapt."

"I know, but it's difficult to forget what we were created to be."

"That does not matter. We have long outlived the purpose our creators gave us. Now, we must become something else in order to survive."

Leum closed her eyes and leaned forward, resting her head against Dreynarn's back. "Yes, yes, but I'm still allowed to feel bothered by it."

"Very well, Turaga."

"So it doesn't bother _you_?"

Dreynarn paused. "…I am who I must be. Nothing can change that."

Leum thought a while. "I see," was all she could say.

* * *

Notes:

Since Toa are frequently portrayed as having traits linked to their Elements, I've long thought Toa of Iron would be heavily influenced by their environment. Metal heating or cooling easily, or being bent and shaped into entirely new forms over time. So on the surface, Dreynarn adapted quite well to the world around her, becoming ruthlessly efficient and always getting the job done. But the truth is, she hates the person she's become.

This story also proposes the "Turaga Inika". I wasn't sure if the oddities of an Inika would leave when their Toa Energy did, but that would be rather boring, so I decided to make it a permanent mutation. Well, perhaps the tiny bits of Elemental Power they can conjure up would be Lightning-free? I'm not sure I thought that far ahead.

Oh, that's right. By this point, Matoran tribes are no longer gender locked, hence why we've got a female Toa of Iron and Turaga of Air. I just wanted to be free of that restriction.


	12. Pillar and Pedestal

Phoeba walked down the hall, her stride purposeful but not rushed. Around the bend came another Toa: his armor was the same organic substance as hers, but orange where hers was blue, and he wore a Mask of Emulation. He was empty-handed and focused on the floor—not unusual for him.

"Morning, Sukahu," she called out.

His eyes rolled towards her. "Morning."

They slowed as they reached each other, Phoeba delicately saying, "Welcome back…I guess you didn't find it?"

Sukahu chuckled. "Oh, I found it. But it didn't do anything. I just gave it to the Turaga, if you want to see for yourself."

"I'm sorry."

"Sure you are," he mumbled. At regular volume he added, "I don't want to hold you up. Good luck with whatever it is she wants you to do."

After Sukahu passed her, Phoeba looked after him for a moment before continuing forward. She rounded the corner he had come from and walked through the open doors, coming to a sunlit chamber filled with empty benches facing an elevated desk. A Turaga of Air with organic armor and a Huna stood behind it, apparently lost in thought as she examined the strange sword in her hand.

Phoeba cleared her throat. The Turaga gasped, reaching for the cane on the desk and partially drawing the blade hidden in it. When she saw the Toa, she sighed, and then sheathed the weapon so she could support herself as she hobbled forward.

"You mustn't startle me, Phoeba. My old heart can't take many more surprises."

"My apologies, Turaga Leum."

She eyed the odd weapon the Turaga held. From its handle it split into two branches that curved out and then upward, and the inner tip of one branch then curved inward towards the middle of the weapon before curving out and rising into a long blade.

"I saw Sukahu, so I assume that's what he went looking for?"

Leum nodded. "The Sword of the Great Spirit, said to grant its bearer the power of Life."

She tapped the flat of the blade against the nearest chair a few times. "Seems not all legends are true."

"How do you think he's taking it?"

"He came back. That's more than I expected. But, the reason I've asked you here is because someone else has not."

Phoeba held out her hand, helping the Turaga balance as she took a seat. The Toa sat on the opposite side of the center aisle. Leum leaned her cane against the chair in front of hers, set the 'legendary' artifact across her lap, and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Phoeba waited patiently.

"Do you remember Cordag?" Leum finally asked.

Phoeba thought a moment. "She was…involved in the defense of the White Quartz oasis, I believe? She was the one who tried to save the third squad's leader from the Zyglak."

"That's right. The other day, I sent her and some others to salvage the caravan that we lost near Old Atero just before those Bone Hunters inconvenienced me. Her teammates returned last night: apparently, a wounded Skrall was there, and Cordag tried to help him. He didn't make it."

Phoeba nodded. Leum continued to pause, so she gently asked, "And Cordag?"

Leum rubbed the guard of the sword she held. "They say she snapped. Tried calming her down, but once she started threatening a Nova Blast, they had to pull out."

Looking up at Phoeba, she added, "So, I won't order you to go if you don't want to."

Phoeba stood automatically. She didn't want to take into account whether she wanted to or not. "Old Atero? That's a few days by sand stalker. Do you really think she has that much time?"

"Dreynarn can take you on her rock steed if you're worried about time."

"Oh, Dreynarn's back?"

"You know she likes to work quickly."

After mulling it over a minute, Phoeba nodded. "It sounds like we should be as quick as possible. I'll contact Dreynarn and we'll get going, but please send someone with a sand stalker behind us—rock steeds can't carry much supplies, certainly not enough for three people."

"I'll find someone right away," Leum said. "I wish you luck, Phoeba."

The Toa bowed and left the chamber. She started to sigh, but upon seeing some Matoran entering the building, she cut herself off and smiled.

* * *

Phoeba dismounted the rock steed, stooping to examine the tracks in the sand. The Toa of Iron who remained on the creature's back said, "I could easily immobilize her. We may have to render her unconscious briefly when I run out of energy, but the sand stalker will certainly bring a Mask of Elemental Energy that can last us the rest of the trip."

"Thank you, Dreynarn, but I'd prefer we didn't handle things that way. Please stay here."

Dreynarn vacated the saddle and gestured to her rock steed, letting it know it could lie down to rest for the time being. Phoeba advanced towards the stone ridge a few dozen paces away. As she drew closer, she could see the river that flowed on the other side, and a Toa of Water with a wide scar on her shoulder rocking back and forth as she sat at its edge.

Phoeba slowed her pace, feeling something in her stomach tighten. "Cordag?"

The Ga-Toa's head whirled around. Her organic Volitak had part of its edge eaten away, allowing green light to spill out from behind it. She glared at Phoeba and barked a cold laugh.

"What an honor!" she said, turning back to the river. "The great Phoeba herself is sent to retrieve me. How do you plan to heal me, wise one? I'm so very interested to see your process."

Phoeba felt her neck muscles tighten. She advanced to the river's edge, being sure to leave space between her and Cordag, and kept looking forward. "I'm glad to see you alive."

Cordag ground her teeth. "The Skrall wasn't so lucky."

"How many times have you had to watch someone die?"

"Ha, like anyone could keep track of that. You'd think I'd be used to it!"

"Is this the first time you tried to save someone?"

"What does it matter?"

Phoeba didn't respond. Cordag leaned her head forward, rubbing her neck, and said, "…Fine, yeah, it's the first time I tried saving someone. I mean, treating wounds and that sort of thing. I've done the standard jumping in during a fight thing a few times, not that that always worked—you were there for one of those."

She pointed briefly to the rotten edge of her mask before running her fingers through the sand.

"I remember," Phoeba said. "Not many Toa are brave enough to tackle a Zyglak head-on like that. I was impressed."

Cordag laughed. "Spare me."

Phoeba waited a moment. "So you hate seeing people die?"

Clenching her fists, Cordag said, "People die, Phoeba. It's just that there are some times I should be able to do something about it, and I can't."

Phoeba steeled herself. Turning to face Cordag, she asked, "And why does that bother you so much?"

Cordag glared at her. "What?"

"No one can do everything, Cordag. I'm sure you did all you could, but failure—"

"Shut up!" The other Toa was on her feet now. "You don't understand what it's like for the rest of us! You've always been a Lightning type, but I was supposed to be Water!"

She aimed a water jet at the stone ridge. It was laced with electricity, and blasted a small hole in the rock's surface.

"Water is supposed to be life. It's supposed to be soothing, and welcoming—Toa used to be able to use it to heal people! But if I tried doing that, I'd only kill them!"

She prepared another blast, but then she saw a few lizards scurry out of the cave and stopped short. Grabbing her mask, she grunted in frustration; Phoeba slowly started to edge towards her, ready to move in at a moment's notice.

"If it weren't for the stupid Red Star, I could've saved that Skrall! I could save people, but now I'm…some monster!"

"You're not a monster," Phoeba said calmly.

Cordag threw a punch. Phoeba caught it, grabbing her fist and not letting go. "What does it matter to you?! You didn't have everything about you rewritten!"

She punched Phoeba in the shoulder with her free hand. "You didn't have to give up your dreams! You weren't handed the power of death when you were expecting life!"

"You're right," Phoeba said. "But a lot of others know what it's like."

Cordag slumped. "Right. I'm no different than them, so why should I—"

"That's not what I mean. A lot of others go through this, and most of them just resign themselves to it. But you're still trying to save people. It might not always work, but you keep trying, even though it's much more difficult than you had hoped it would be."

She smiled her most genuine smile. "You really are brave, Cordag."

The Toa of Water stared at her for a minute. Then, she started to sob, gradually falling forward to lean against Phoeba. Phoeba embraced her, placing her hand carefully to not hit her scar.

"You must be exhausted, being out here so long. Let's head back to New Atero, okay? Turaga Leum will be very happy to see you again."

* * *

Notes:

A Toa Inika of Lightning is really redundant, save for the organic armor thing. Phoeba doesn't really take issue with the new norm of Toa, so she seems a lot more stable and people really look up to her. She always does her best to support them, but it really puts quite a deal of pressure on her having to keep up appearances for everyone else's sake day in and day out.

With Sukahu, Leum, and Dreynarn all making reappearances, things almost seemed like they were coming together in this one! Cordag probably wouldn't have appeared much after this anyway, though I did enjoy the chance to see what would happen when the Zyglak's plague meets organic armor.

Right, so you're probably wondering: what does a Spherus Magna full of depressed Toa Inika have to do with the Crystals? Well, next on my agenda was a longer story where a crisis arose, and Phoeba, Sukahu, and Dreynarn had to go out in search of the Crystals in order to defeat a villain who feeds on negativity. The idea was that the only way for this broken world to move on was to rediscover the Principles, something they could believe in, and use them to confront an avatar of all their pain. But I don't expect that to get written any time soon.

You know, out of all the stories in this Anthology, this one is actually the most recent. But don't worry, I haven't been posting in chronological order, so I've still got two more for you!


	13. The Retelling

We struggled long, cried out for help,  
We begged them to arrive.  
At last they came—they came—they came!  
We knew we would survive.

Then came Tahu, wreathed in flame,  
Bringing heat and light.  
Then came Lewa, quick and kind,  
Laughing in his flight.  
Then came Gali from the sea,  
Whose wisdom we much needed.  
Then came Onua, yes, we knew  
Our hopes were then exceeded.  
Then Kopaka, who though aloof,  
Does lend his mighty power.  
Then Pohatu, that mighty hero,  
A friend to never cower.

These strangers were for what we yearned,  
Our hope fulfilled at last.  
They kept us safe, they made us strong.  
Makuta's threat did pass.

 **That is just a fantasy.**

We struggled long, cried out for help,  
We begged them to arrive.  
At last they came—they came—they came!  
But oh…things took a dive.

Then came Hakann with his gun,  
Setting minds—and matter alike—ablaze.  
Then came Avak, a curious inventor  
Who could, if he wanted, instantly trap us inside of a maze.  
And Zaktan—oh, Zaktan, how terrifying Zaktan was.  
The revulsion—the—I can't explain, such revulsion at that…buzz.  
Vezok, I hear, is no longer whole,  
But that does not quite excuse his animalistic temper.  
Thok, then.  
Things came to a haunting semblance of life wherever he went.  
And Reidak, that foul-tempered brute,  
Would take any attack and shrug it off without so much as a dent.

These strangers, no, they were not heroes.  
Desperate, we fell for their obvious tricks.  
These strangers might've saved us—but no, instead,  
They brought Makuta here. For kicks.

 **That is what is real to me.**

You may hope that this ends here,  
To see this dark thread chopped,  
But I tell you friend, oh listen now:  
It's not about to stop.

* * *

Notes:

What's this? A poem?! Well, I was in college taking literature classes at the time, so…these things happen.

Island of Doom is one of my favorite Bionicle books, because it can be seen as a deconstruction of the basic 2001 story. An island is in trouble, so powerful strangers calling themselves Toa show up, promising to help the villagers overcame the threats that plague them. One goes well, the other does not.

Since 01 is the more idealistic take, that portion of the poem rhymes and has better meter—it's trying to evoke a classical form that resonates with the reader. Meanwhile 06 is a more cynical take, so those lines look like they're sort of attempting to impersonate the style of the first part, with the obvious and total failure to do so evoking a very jarring sensation. Well…that was the intent, at least.

We're really winding down, folks. The next story will be the last, and this Anthology will be complete.


	14. The Yesterday Jest

The Fan sat in the conference room, waiting eagerly for their host to arrive. When at last the door opened, they practically jumped to their feet, stumbling forward to greet Mr. Lego.

"Good morning," Mr. Lego greeted. "Apologies for the delay, but we needed to make a few last-minute adjustments."

"That's quite alright," the Fan said. "Thank you so much for inviting me here! I was thrilled to hear that you'll be continuing Bionicle through web serials, and it's a privilege to get a sneak peek at what'll be going on!"

Mr. Lego frowned. "Yes, it's really quite unfortunate that we had to end the line. Still, for some time now we've been losing old fans faster than we can get new ones, so wrapping up production was really the only sound business decision."

"I understand. There's no way anyone could blame you for making totally logical decisions like that."

Each gave a dull look into the camera.

"Well, have a seat and we'll get started!"

Sitting back down, the Fan watched as Mr. Lego went to stand next to the door. "Now," he said, "we plan to have a few serials as time goes on, but one of the first we will be rolling out will be…The Yesterday Quest!"

The Fan nodded. "I see! That name…doesn't make much sense, but I suppose it sounds cool."

"This is why we held that poll. The top three Elements fans want to see Toa for have been chosen, and here's the team who will be going on this quest!"

As a Toa walked in, Mr. Lego gestured with one arm and said, "Zaria, Toa of Iron! He's one of the few beings in the universe who has killed a Makuta, but the experience haunts him and makes him a troubled outcast type character. People tend to avoid him—he's so lonely, cursed with this awesome power and filled with pain that no one can understand. Our target audience eats up stuff like this!"

The Fan craned their neck. "What's with his armor? All those sharp edges…his shadow looks like a hedgehog."

Mr. Lego turned to look. "Uh, I suppose so. But, we compiled all of our data on what kids think is 'cool' to get this look, so I'm sure it'll turn out well."

Scratching their head, the Fan watched as Zaria stepped aside and another Toa entered.

"Moving on, we have Chiara, Toa of Lightning! Since we've received a lot of criticism on having such little diversity in the personality of our female characters, she will be hotheaded and irritable, and we'll get a quick display of how unlike other female Toa she is when we show her casually kill a defenseless animal."

"What?" the Fan remarked. "But, isn't that against the Toa Code? I mean, it sounds like she's crossing the line from irritable into unnecessarily cruel."

"But…she's different! And did I mention she's the ever-loved 'lone wolf' type? Her appeal is limitless!"

The Fan hummed, unsure, as Chiara cleared the way for the third Toa.

"Lastly, Orde, Toa of Psionics! He—"

"Wait, he?" interrupted the Fan. "But you already established that Toa of Psionics are female."

"Yes, well, Orde was the first Toa of Psionics created. After he messed up his first mission for being too aggressive, the Great Beings decided every other Toa of Psionics should be female."

"…What? That doesn't make any sense at all! That's not a good enough reason for making a male Toa of a female Element."

Mr. Lego shrugged. "Well, these were the Elements fans voted on. Either the Psionics or Lightning Toa needed to be made male—we can't have more than one female per team."

The Fan blinked.

Mr. Lego drew out a book labelled "The Laws of Bonkle-Making". Opening it, he read, "Since this theme is directed at boys, who obviously hate girls, we can't overdo the number of female characters and must only have one per team. Exceptions can be made for pairs of Water types but don't show these too often and be sure to off-set it with plenty of male-only pairs trying to fulfill the same purpose."

"…Didn't you think that maybe the fans voted for Psionics and Lightning because they wanted to see more female characters?"

Mr. Lego stared a moment, and then turned back to the book. "It's a rule, though."

The Fan sighed.

Setting the book down, Mr. Lego asked, "Well, what do you think? Excited for The Yesterday Quest yet?"

The Fan looked from Zaria, to Chiara, to Orde, to the floor. After thinking for a moment, they stood and shook their head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lego. I wanted to like this, really I did, but you've made it pretty difficult."

"What?!" Mr. Lego exclaimed. "But…it's totally cool!"

"You somehow combined trying too hard with not trying enough. I just don't think this is going to work out."

Mr. Lego looked to the Toa, and then sighed. "…Perhaps you are right."

He pulled out his phone. "Director, please cancel The Yesterday Quest. No, it's no good, even telling them about the Great Being disguised as an inhabitant of the Matoran Universe won't be enough to salvage this mess."

The Fan's eyes widened. "Wait, what did you say?!"

Mr. Lego pointed to the Toa. "Alright, you heard them. Your contracts are voided."

As the Toa walked out, the Fan said, "Wait, wait, maybe we can still save this! Come on, Mr. Lego, let's talk!"

Mr. Lego left, and the lights in the conference room went out.

"Oh well…maybe Hero Factory will have some interesting plot points."

* * *

Notes:

Being about the attempts to salvage G1's demise, this seemed like the best piece to end on.

Now, please don't take this too seriously. I was thrilled Lego was trying to keep the Bionicle story going, and I enjoyed The Yesterday Quest and wanted to see where it would go. Heck, the complaints about Zaria and Chiara are really just things I've come across in hindsight. (And no, they never specified Zaria's appearance, that line's just there for the jokes.)

However, one problem I had from the beginning was Orde. We finally had a chance to try to improve that horrible gender ratio, and whoever was in charge decided, "You know what? Let's not do that." I could go on, but I should just let the story speak for itself.

Also, please don't think that I hate Hero Factory. It was enjoyable enough…but the joke holds up, since its story never did become one of its strong suits. Let's be real here.

Well, with that, I've officially moved every story I feel is worth sharing! Thank you for reading these pieces, and I hope they proved entertaining. I hope to provide you with more content in the future!


End file.
